Bioassays laboratory

The Bioassays Laboratory has staff and infrastructure dedicated to conducting automated biochemical and cellular experiments to identify bioactive molecules via high-yield screening methods.

Biochemical assays generally assess the activity of a target protein using fluorescence spectroscopy techniques, while cell assays attempt to identify changes in the phenotype of a cell of interest by analyzing images obtained via fluorescence microscopy techniques.

The biochemical and cell assays are prepared on 96- or 384-well microplates, using automatic reagent and pipette dispensers integrated with a robotic arm. High-yield screening experiments are commonly used in the initial phase of drug discovery and to characterize new molecular targets.

High-throughput screening (HTS) and high-content screening (HCS) are scientific research techniques that make it possible to conduct automated and miniaturized biochemical or cell assays on thousands of chemical samples, from synthetic or natural sources. HTS and HCS experiments are commonly used in the discovery of new bioactive molecules, in the initial stages of pharmaceutical development, in protein characterization, and in multi-parameter cell assays used to reveal the mechanisms of action and potential side effects of bioactive molecules.